To Go Haywire

To Go Haywire : Phrases

Meaning:

To behave wildly; go out of control.

Example:

Origin:

Wire, properly only intended to bale up hay, (i.e. haywire) was used, instead, by many farmers to make their boundary fences. The wire rusted quickly with the result that the properties were unkempt and had an appearance of being out of control.

Alternative: Wire, when correctly used to bundle up hay, would writhe and wriggle when cut to eventually release the hay.

Alternative: The disorder and chaos present in a farm yard when the used lengths of wire were left dumped on the ground.